Concentrator



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NVE/W05 ATTORNEYS n l r f l l 4 f a l n. W. HUMPBMBS,

No Mom.)

GONCBNTRATOR.

No. 50u23. Patented Sapa,` 12, 189s'.

l STATES PATENT einen,

CONCENTRATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,923, datedSeptember 12, 1893.

Application filed February 15, 1893. Serial No. 462.360. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAvID WALTER HUM- PHRIES, of De Lamar, in the countyof Owyhee and State of Idaho, have invented a new and ImprovedConcentrator, of which the followlngis a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the invention is to provide a n ew and improvedconcentrator, which is simple and durable in construction, veryeffective in operation and arranged to save the precious metals and thefloured quicksilver palsing with the tailings discharged from the mi Theinvention consists of an inclined table formed with a series of parallelchannels for the passage of the tailings, each channel belng covered inits upper part with a coarse mesh fabric, such as jute, and in its lowerpart with a finer fabric such as canvas.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details, andcombinations of the same, as will be hereinafter described and thenpointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, 1n which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure l is a plan view of the improvement. Fig, 2 is a side elevationof the same with parts in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is atransverse4 section of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4:is an enlarged sectional side elevation of part of the improvement onthe line 4-4 of Fig. l.

The improved concentrator is provided with a tailingreceiving receptacleA provided in its front side with gates B, through which the tailingscan be discharged from the receptacle A into channels O formed on thetop of an inclined table D of suitable length and inclination. Eachchannel C has its bottom covered in the upper part with a coarse meshfabric E such as jute, while the lower end of the bottom of each channelis covered with a finer mesh fabric F, such as canvas.

In the extreme lower end of each channel C and in the bottom thereof areformed two apertures C and O2, adapted to be closed by valves G and Hrespectively, as plainly shown in Fig. 4, the said apertures C and O2lead ing to transversely-extending channels I and J, of which thechannel I discharges into a tank K connected by an overflow with asecond tank K which connects in alike manner with a tank K2, and thelatter connects similarly with a tank K3, which discharges by anoverflow into a tank K4, from which the water can finally pass to a tankK5 by means of an overflow, to run from the latter tank K5 through achute K6 to waste. The other channel J discharges at one end into a tankL for receiving the lighter, second grade concentrates, as hereinaftermore fully described.

The lower end of the table D discharges into the tailing box N fromwhich leads a chute O to carry off all refuse sand and water. Near theupper end of the, table D, in front of the tailing receiving receptacleA is arranged a water distributing box P provided in its front side withgates Q, for permitting the water to flow through the gates onto therespective channels C.

The operation is as follows: The tailings from the mill are carried by asuitable chute into the tailing receiving receptacle A from which theycan pass through the opened gates B into the channels C at the upper endof the table D, the tailings flowing down the channels first over thecoarse meshv fabric E and then over theiiner mesh fabric F so that thetailings are well distributed over the entire surface of the table.VWhen this has been done, and a sufcient quantity of the tailings havebeen distributed over the table, the gates B are closed, and the gates Qof the water box P are opened one atatime,and sufficient quantity ofwater is allowed to flow over the table to carry oif the sand only,while the attendant sweeps the channel for about one third of its wholelength with an ordinary mill broom the amount of `water and the sweepingbeing so regulated that no concentrates will be carried off. Aftersweeping one-third the length of the channel, the plug or valve H of thechannel being swept is removed, the gate Q is raised somewhat higher topermit an increased quantity of water to iiow, and the sweeping isresumed, the result being that the lighter, or second class concentrateswill enter the opening C2, and passthrough channel J to the tank L, andby the time the channel is swept as far as as the finer fabric F, thelighter concentrates will have all flowed into the tank L, the finerfabric not oifering sufficient obstruction to detain them. The plug orvalve I'I now is replaced in the opening C2 and the plug or valve G isremoved from the opening C', and the sweeping is continued to the end ofthe channel, the heavier or first class concentrate flowinginto the tankK and its complementary tanks K', &c. Each channel is swept in the sameway. More or less sand is present with the lighter concentrates in thetank L, and the same are removed and distributed over the table and theoperation repeated.

By this arrangement I am enabled to separate the precious metals andfloured quicksilver from the gangue thus saving a large percentage ofvaluable precious metal and quicksilver which would otherwise have goneto'aste with the tailings, as they leave the m1 If desired the finerconcentrates may be run through the apertures C2 and chute .I into tankL, while the coarser concentrates are first passed through apertures Cand chute I into box K.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- .1. A concentrator provided with an inclinedtable formed with a series of parallel and longitudinally-extendingchannels, each covered in the upper part of its bottom with a coarsemesh fabric and in the lower part of its bottom with a finer meshfabric, substantially as shown and described.

2. A concentrator comprising an inclined table havinga series of longitudinally-eXtending channels, each provided in the upper part of itsbottom with a coarse mesh fabric and in the lower part of its bottomwith a fine mesh fabric, a tailings receiving receptacle having gatesdischarging into the said channels at the upper end of the table, and atailings box into which the said channels discharge at the lower end ofthe table, substantially as shown and described.

3. The concentrator comprising an inclined table formed withlongitudinal channels each having a bottom covered in the upper partwith a coarse mesh fabric and in the lower part with a fine mesh fabric,the water distributing box set on the upper end of the said table andhaving gates discharging into the said channels, andtransversely-extending chutes arranged under the lower end of the tableand adapted to be connected with lthe said channels by gates,substantially as shown and described.

4t. The concentrator comprising an inclined table formed withlongitudinal channels each having a bottom covered in the upper partwith a coarse mesh fabric and in the lower part with a fine mesh fabric,the Water distributing box set on the upper end of the said table andhaving gates discharging into the said channels, transversely-extendingchutes arranged under the lower end of the table and adapted to beconnected with the said channels by gates, and settling tanks connectedwith the said chutes, substantially as shown and described. g

DAVID WALTER HUMPHRIES. Witnesses:

Jos. W. MENEFEE, GUY NEWCOMB.

